The return of The Past Vione didn't escape Usher's scrutiny. He vividly remembered the events of the past and decided not to miss the opportunity.Usher realized that The Past Vione would be very sad that night, to the point of doubting their love. So, he didn't want to take any chances. He had to meet The Past Vione and make sure that their relationship was okay.Usher reached into his pocket and briefly looked at the half-moon pendant necklace. Then he clasped it firmly before putting it back in his pocket.Usher waited a moment while he carefully watched the footage from the surveillance cameras scattered throughout the palace. His focus was on the large monitor, then shifted to the smaller screens showing different angles, never losing sight of The Past Vione for a moment.His body tensed as he saw The Past Vione leaving the office, sobbing. She seemed so tormented and sad. She was in such pain that guilt tore at Usher's heart.Usher felt unable to watch the surveillance footage a
Silence surrounded them, only the slow and steady rhythm of breaths could be heard. They came from The Past Vione, who slept peacefully in Usher's embrace. Her beautiful face looked tired, but also happy. Unfortunately, this only further confused Usher's feelings and a wave of guilt washed over him.Usher held his breath, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that was consuming him, but it was extremely difficult. Every time he looked at the serene face of The Past Vione, the guilt pressed down harder. His heart thundered with feelings that were difficult to express. He felt truly terrible to realize that Vione, the woman he loved most, was at his side without knowing anything about what was going on between them.Moments later, a warmth rose in the corner of Usher's eyes. Tears threatened to break out and he fought hard not to cry. But memories of the past unexpectedly flooded his mind. He remembered the promises he had made. Promises to always protect Vione and make her happy. U
It was unclear when, but now Rowena realized that she enjoyed wandering through the forest. Alone, with no one to accompany her, she felt the warmth of the forest embrace her with love. Her empty soul was filled, her silent world enlivened by the gentle whisper of the wind and the rustling of the leaves. Each step she took brought her a soothing peace.Rowena's footsteps stopped just as she emerged from the dense canopy of tall trees. Now there were no trees to block her view. So, she lifted her face and her eyes fell on the full moon.Rowena smiled sweetly; her eyes filled with the sparkle of love. Her feelings warmed, and unconsciously her hand rose as if to reach for the full moon. Then her lips spoke softly: "We will meet again, Ivan.”Her hand lowered again and Rowena gave one last smile before continuing her journey. She re-entered the Amerotha Forest, and not long after, a loud roar was heard.Rowena quickened her pace, her heart pounding with unstoppable enthusiasm. She almost
It had always been safe. Besides, the Moon Necklace was not an ordinary object that could be easily misplaced. The reason was that the Moon Necklace was a sacred artifact of an ancient sorcerer whose greatness was legendary, passed down from generation to generation with the utmost care and respect, and only their descendants could use the Moon Necklace because its power was closely tied to their souls. Therefore, it was impossible for Rowena to lose the Moon Necklace without noticing. Of course, she would notice if something happened to the moon necklace. In fact, she should have been able to sense any abnormality when the Moon Necklace disappeared from her.But in reality, Rowena didn't feel anything. For days, her feelings had been normal, peaceful as usual. Especially a few moments ago, she hadn't felt anything strange at all.So, it was understandable that Rowena needed some time to digest the situation. She pondered what was happening, gazing intently at Usher before shifting he
Usher accepted the antidote with mixed feelings. He held the antidote tightly, his fingers squeezing it as if to convey the immense hope he placed in it, yet unable to suppress the other worries that arose.Rowena frowned, noticing the change in Usher's expression. "What is it, Alpha? Is something wrong?""Rowena." Usher swallowed the lump in his throat. He raised his face and looked at Rowena with a confused expression. "I hope the antidote you gave me can cure me, but what if Mireya takes further action and I can't protect myself?" There was bitterness and fear, rebellion against the unexpected. "I may not have found any proof, but my intuition tells me that Mireya's people are already in The Palace." He shook his head in despair. "It could have happened a long time ago."Rowena fell silent. Usher's concerns sounded reasonable. He feared that the recovery of his past self might force Mireya into unexpected actions. Besides, his past self was now under Mireya's control. Therefore, be
The Past Vione didn't hope for much when she woke up, just as the morning sunlight managed to penetrate the thick curtains at the window and disturbed her eyes. At that moment, a few seconds before she opened her eyes, a fleeting, sad thought crossed her mind. Usher must be gone. He must have left.But the heart of The Past Vione had its own will. Her logic told her not to hope, but her heart did the opposite. In fact, deep in her heart, she wanted to see Usher the moment she opened her eyes for the first time. She wanted Usher to be the first person she saw before she started her day.The Past Vione took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She steeled herself as she turned her body and a stabbing pain throbbed in her heart. My guess was right. Usher has already left.It took a moment for The Past Vione to regain control of the wave of disappointment. She calmed herself by saying over and over, "You know, this isn't the first time Usher has done this, but it doesn't mean he's underesti
Suddenly, a soft voice interrupted the conversation between The Past Usher and The Past Vione. They both turned to the source of the voice and found Mireya arriving.The Past Vione closed her mouth when she saw that Mireya had arrived so early and at such a perfect moment. Mireya came just as she and the Past Usher were having a disagreement. She was sure that Mireya would only make the situation worse."Mireya."Mireya approached The Past Usher, who immediately got up from his seat. She glanced at The Past Vione before asking The Past Usher. "What tonic are you talking about?""Oh, that," The Past Usher muttered indifferently. "Vione said she put tonic in my morning tea. She said it was to keep me fit."Mireya narrowed her eyes. "To keep you fit?""Yes."Mireya paused for a moment before looking at The Past Vione. She stared at The Past Vione for a moment with an expression that was difficult to interpret. The Past Vione scoffed."Why?" The Past Vione asked defensively. "Are you tryi
Usher dramatically closed his eyes. His face flushed red; his jaw clenched to contain his rising anger. But a second later, his right hand balled into a fist and he slammed it down on the table with full force.The rage that consumed Usher was beyond measure. The hope he had come so close to realizing vanished in an instant, all because of Mireya's presence.Usher's plan had failed. The Past Usher did not take the antidote Rowena had prepared. On top of that, another fight broke out between The Past Usher and The Past Vione. Everything was a complete mess.Despair was creeping in and threatening Usher's resolve. It seemed that all his efforts so far had been in vain. A question popped into his head: What if the past really can't be changed?As soon as the question appeared, Usher shook his head. He dismissed the negative possibility and took a deep breath. He knew the only thing he had to do now was to stay calm. He couldn't afford to be swept away by a wave of emotions that could bli
Vione couldn't answer Jemma's words. Her heart was truly touched and she fell silent, only able to look at Usher, knowing that everything Jemma had said was the undeniable truth. Pregnancy was always a happy announcement. But Vione's pregnancy was more than joy; it was a blessing. For Usher, Jemma, Rowena and the Frostholm Pack, Vione's pregnancy was the greatest gift the Moon Goddess had given them. So, it was no surprise that when the palace announced Vione's pregnancy, the entire pack rejoiced and celebrated everywhere. Without exception, the news spread to the farthest corners of the Frostholm Pack territory. Smiles and beaming eyes adorned the faces of every member of the pack. They continued to give thanks for all the good things that had happened to the pack—from their victory in the war to Vione's pregnancy—and they didn't forget to pray for Vione's wellbeing. Ayla, the Sacred Elder, made hasty preparations. She arranged for a blessing ceremony for Vione's pregnancy to be h
There was a bright, blinding light. It seemed to be the morning sun, its warmth soothing her soul. Vione wasn't alone. Next to her was Usher, always holding her hand. They were talking, laughing, when suddenly a scene made her eyes widen. "Sylvia, come back! Don't go too far! Oh, God! Silas, can you go after her?"Usher pulled Vione into his arms. "Don't worry, she won't get lost. They're smart kids." "Usher," Vione groaned, pressing her lips together and raising her hand to point. "That's too—" Vione frowned. Something was holding her hand. Something was stroking the back of her hand, squeezing her fingers. "U-Usher." "Vione? Are you awake?" Usher's voice echoed in her head, like the buzzing of a thousand bees, driving that beautiful memory from her mind. It made her slightly dizzy and she moaned softly. "Vione? Can you hear my voice?" Vione frowned and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Usher's face, filled with immeasurable relief. "Usher." "Oh, thank God," Usher whispered, k
The meeting was only ten minutes old—it had only just started—and the first presentation had only just been given, but Usher's concentration was already disturbed. He couldn't concentrate on the data being presented. His mind kept wandering back to Vione. He had tried to ignore it, but suddenly his heart was pounding with an unfamiliar rhythm.Usher held his breath. Vione. Had something happened to her?At the same time, Usher saw Garth reach into the inside pocket of his suit. He watched as Garth stepped out of the meeting to take a phone call and for some reason Usher was certain that the call had something to do with Vione.Usher's intuition was right. Immediately after the call, Garth approached him and whispered in his ear."Alpha, Cora just reported that Luna fainted at a banquet—"Usher immediately got up from his seat. He left and Garth quickly said, "The meeting will be postponed."Then Garth hurried after Usher. They left the office five minutes later, Garth driving as fast
Two days later Rowena was ready. With her was Cora, whom Usher had specially assigned to accompany her on her journey.Rowena cupped Vione's cheeks. "Don't worry, Vione. We'll see each other often. Besides, it's the only way I can make up for leaving you as a baby.""No, Mama." Vione held Rowena's hands. "You did it so I could live with other werewolves. I understand that."Still, Rowena's guilt remained. So, she promised to make up for it with happiness and togetherness in the future."I hope you take good care of yourself, Mama," Vione said, calming her heart. Then she took off the moon necklace she was wearing. She put the moon necklace into Rowena's hand. "Let me know if anything happens."Rowena nodded. "Of course."Vione and Usher watched Rowena leave, certain that this wasn't goodbye. In truth, they were just living apart. They would keep in touch. They would still meet and visit. So, everything would be fine. There was nothing to worry about.That was what Rowena believed too.
Vione's hope was the promise she had made to Ivan. After so much suffering and sacrifice, there was only one thing she wanted most: to live a peaceful life surrounded by those she loved—Usher, Jemma and Rowena.They were owed many happy days because of the tragedies that had unfolded over the years, along with the war. Now Vione simply wanted to repay that debt by enjoying their time together, especially with Rowena.For countless days, Vione had longed for the loving touch of her biological parents. Despite the fact that her life with Addy and Hilary had been happy and full of love, she could not deny that deep down there was a part of her that longed for the warmth and love of her real parents. And when she learned that Ivan was long gone, all her hopes were placed in Rowena.Vione wanted to experience the affection she had only imagined. She wanted to spend endless days with Rowena in the palace. But it seemed that Rowena had other thoughts than her own."W-what do you mean, Ma?" V
Silence. Ivan and Rowena both stood still, staring at Vione without blinking."I'm meeting Usher, Dad," Vione said again. She pouted as she continued, "We've been dating since the night of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony." Her face flushed, obviously embarrassed. "When we were celebrating at the palace, and that's when we..."Vione didn't finish her sentence, but both Ivan and Rowena understood. They could guess what had happened that night. But one thing was still unclear to them.Ivan cleared his throat. He rubbed his chin, looking puzzled. "Usher?" he asked. "Which Usher are you talking about?""Papa," Vione groaned, feeling even more helpless. She was completely embarrassed. "There's only one Usher I know, the one you both know, Usher Thorne."Ivan's mouth opened, but no words came out. He seemed genuinely shocked and needed a little more time to fully process the name Usher Thorne.Ivan stared at Vione. "Usher Thorne?"The doorbell rang at the same moment. Vione's eyes widened. She lo
A month had passed since the war against the Nimbria Pack, and now normal days were once again colouring the Frostholm territory. Everyone carried on with their activities as before, full of energy and joy. The children played and went to school without a trace of fear, while the adults worked diligently, occasionally breaking into light chatter and laughter.There were no worries. Fear and anxiety about the future had vanished, replaced by happy, vibrant faces. They knew that the danger that had loomed over them for years had been overcome.On the other hand, the peace that now surrounded the Frostholm Pack did not lull Usher into complacency. He refused to become arrogant. Instead, the tragedy that had befallen the Nimbria Pack had taught him many lessons. He would not be careless and would make sure that this would never happen again.As a basis for preventive measures, Berg continued to increase security throughout the territory. Inspections of outsiders became more thorough and r
A heavy silence had fallen over the Frostholm territory since the night before. The area was truly desolate, with no sign of the Frostholm pack except for Berg and the guards stationed everywhere to protect the borders and the palace. The rest of the pack had evacuated to Amerotha Forest, hiding under the protection of Rowena's magic.The tension was palpable. The members of the pack seemed restless, their minds filled with fear, even though their safety was guaranteed within the forest. They knew that this security did not extend to those fighting in the war; there was no guarantee of safety for them.No one could close their eyes. They couldn't even stay in their tents. Instead, they chose to gather together and pray without ceasing.Hope poured from the depths of their hearts. Every prayer was accompanied by sincerity, and many shed tears. Their sorrow ran deep, and the Amerotha Forest could feel it.A blue-golden light slowly emerged, flowing from the ground and spreading everywhe
One thing Usher would remember for the rest of his life was that war never brought anything good. On the contrary, only bad things came out of war—death, pain, loss, suffering. For this reason, he would do everything in his power to ensure that there would be no more wars in the future—at least not in his lifetime—even if it meant making extreme choices.Usher hated war and he hated killing, but this time he put those feelings aside to ensure the safety of the Frostholm Pack. He had learned from experience that Kendrick's compassion could never touch the humanity of the Nimbria Pack. In truth, greed had blinded the Nimbria Pack, causing them to ignore the opportunity presented by the Frostholm Pack. Worse still, the Nimbria Pack saw Kendrick's decision as a sign of weakness, leading them to attack again whenever they had the chance.So, this time, Usher abandoned all compassion and humanity. The Nimbria Pack didn't deserve it. Instead, he would make sure that the Nimbria Pack felt all